One of the central missions of The Stroke Blog since it went live in October 2014 has been to provide information to those who have survived a stroke or strokes that occurred at relatively young ages. The very first post, “Deconstructing the Mini-Stroke,” recognized that while there may be symptoms more-or-less universal to some stroke types regardless of a person’s age, that the young stroke population tends to struggle differently through what I call their stroke aftermath.
One problem in the young stroke population is that, while we have a drug (IV t-PA) that can help to minimize the long-term aftermath of ischemic stroke when administered within three to four-and-a-half hours of stroke onset, many young patients do not receive it. A number of my young patients have told me that when their symptoms began, they decided to take a nap or wait it out, either because stroke was not on their radar, or because even if it was, they believed stroke to be a disease of the elderly. Those who do take their symptoms seriously and seek emergent medical attention can be misdiagnosed, because healthcare providers may doubt that a stroke can occur at young ages. For hemorrhagic stroke, early medical attention can result in better outcomes for different reasons. Perhaps an aneurysm has ruptured requiring urgent surgical repair, or a hemorrhagic stroke patient requires emergent blood pressure control. When stroke symptoms develop, regardless of a person’s age, emergent medical attention should be sought. In the United States, this means calling 911 (not driving oneself to the hospital).
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2009, almost one-third of stroke hospital admissions in the U.S. were for patients under the age of 65. The Center for Health Statistics estimates that $15.5 billion was lost in productivity in the U.S. in 2008 as a result of stroke patients having to leave the workforce. When stroke strikes a young adult, it costs these individuals personally on many fronts, but it also takes its financial toll at a national level.
This is a public health problem. I want young people to know that when sudden paralysis develops in an arm or a leg, the right thing to do is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible in hopes that t-PA treatment may be a possibility. For severe strokes resulting in large artery occlusions, or “blockages,” we now have very compelling clinical trial data telling us that using a catheter to remove the blood clot is very beneficial in some patients, but only when the stroke is treated early. A delay of even a few hours may make the difference between being dependent on others for care, or returning to independence.
I challenge you to raise awareness about this problem. I challenge you to find a red pair of shoes in your closet, or purchase an inexpensive pair
of red shoes, or if this is too much of a financial burden, to spray-paint an old pair of shoes red. Wear them proudly. The more they stand out, the better. If you are asked about them, use the opportunity to share with the questioner that a person is never too young to have a stroke. If you have a personal story to share, I challenge you to be bold enough to share it. If you are hesitant about sharing it, then communicate to others that stroke is not a disease only affecting the elderly.
Take a picture of your feet in these shoes, and post it to social media – to Facebook, Twitter, whatever. Include the hashtag #redshoes4youngstroke when you post it. Tag others in your posts whom you feel will care about this cause and participate. If you have the financial means to do so, consider making a donation to the American Stroke Association, National Stroke Association, Young Stroke, or another not-for-profit organization you feel has been supportive of the young stroke population. I will watch for interesting red shoe pictures with the #redshoes4youngstroke hashtag to come along, and will repost some of them with permission on The Stroke Blog.
I’ll start. While purchasing a pair of boots for the winter online in January of this year, amazon.com recommended these shoes to me. I thought this was bizarre, as they looked nothing like the boots I had just purchased, but then it seemed almost fated. Somehow amazon.com knew me better than I knew myself, and realized that I would want these there’s-no-place-like-home shoes. Indeed I did, because I instantly decided to call them my “stroke awareness shoes.”
I wore them a few times earlier this month while caring for patients in the hospital to see how people would react, and I received multiple comments each day from patient family members, people in elevators, other parents when I picked my son up from basketball practice. I practiced giving my 20 second spiel about a person never being too young to have a stroke, and it resulted in a number of engaging conversations. Some people even said they would join me in wearing red shoes to raise stroke awareness!
I also want to thank the neurology residents at Duke University, who are not only fantastic physicians, but who have been my sounding board as I have contemplated this. They have been full of great ideas!
I am currently attending the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, and am wearing my red shoes. I am encouraged at the response I have gotten over the course of the morning, and feel certain this can extend beyond those who care for stroke patients.
With greater awareness comes greater funding for research, greater compassion for the plight of a group of survivors, and greater understanding of an issue that exists in our society. Let’s wear our red shoes!